Scroll type continuous mining machine



'Feb. 18, 1964 J. GONsKl ETAL SCROLL TYPE CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 6. 1961 im Aw Feb. 18, 1964 J. GONSKI Em. 3,121,558

SCROLL TYPE CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE Filed Jan. 6, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 18, 1964 J. GoNsKl ETAL 3,121,558

SCROLL TYPE CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE IN VEV TORS. Josep/7 600s Jo/r/f 6. QI/faz United States Patent O 3,121,558 SCROLL TYPE CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE Joseph Gonski, Chicago, and John S. Newton, Glen Ellyn, Ill.z assignors to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Jan. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 81,094 4 Claims. (Cl. 262--19) This invention relates to improvements in continuous mmmg and loading machines of the type particularly adapted for mining and loading thin seams of coal in a contmuous operation.

.A principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved form of continuous mining and loading machine for mining out thin seams of coal in a continuous operation, arranged with a view toward adaptability for mining out working places of various widths 1n a simple and efficient manner.

Another object of the invention is to improve upon continuous mining and loading machines of the low vein type by utilizing side cutting mining heads to cut in arcuate paths from the ribs of the working place toward the center thereof and by progressing the mined material to be picked up by the conveyor of the machine by conveyor scrolls forming continuations of the side cutting mining heads. v Still another object of the invention is to provide an lmproved form of continuous mining and loading machine particularly adapted for mining out thin seams of coal and arranged with a view toward simplicity and compactness in construction and eiciency in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of continuous mining machine having individual side cutting mining heads swingable across the front of the machine about vertical axis disposed at opposite sides of the machine, in which the mining heads are longitudinally adjustable to operate in working places of varying widths and are also vertically adjustable to mine vseams of coal of varying thicknesses.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings where- 1n' FIGURE 1 is a top plan View of a continuous mining 4machine constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention with the mining heads in their laterally extended positions and sumped into the working face into position to mine out the working face by lateral feeding movement thereof toward the center of the machine;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged partial fragmentary top plan view of the forward end portion of one side of the machine shown in FIGURE 1, with the mining head swung inwardly toward the center of the machine from the positlon shown in FIGURE 1 and with certain parts of the mining head and its support broken away and shown in horizontal section;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along lines 3 3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken substantially along lines 4 4 of FIGURE l, with certain parts broken away;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View FIGURE 6 is a partial fragmentary vertical sectional 3,121,558 Patented Feb. 18, 1964 ICC view taken substantially along line 6 6 of FIGURE 2 in order to show certain details of the pusher plate.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG- URE 1 of the drawings, we have shown a mining machine 10 of the side cutting continuous mining type, adapted to cut and load an entire seam of coal by feeding two side cutting mining heads 11, 11 sidewise into the.` working face of a coal seam when in the extreme laterally extended position shown in FIGURE 1, by advancing the entire machine toward the working face, and then by feeding said mining heads toward each other across the Working face in arcuate paths about fixed axes.

The mining machine lil includes generally a main frame 12 mounted on a pair of laterally spaced continuous traction tread devices 13, for propelling the machine from working place to working place and for advancing the machine toward a working face, to feed the side cutting mining heads 11 thereinto when in the laterally extended positions shown in FIGURE 1. The continuous traction tread devices may be of a well known form and may be independently driven in a suitable manner, well known to those skilled in the art, and no part of the present invention, so not herein shown or described further.

Extending along the central portion of the main frame 12 is a laterally flexible single strand chain and flight conveyor 15 extending from an inclined apron 17 at the front of the machine in an upwardly inclined direction over the top of the machine, and having a laterally swingable rear end portion 18, swung from side to side and maintained in the desired position with respect to the centerline of the machine by uid pressure operated jacks 19, in a manner well known to those skilled in the art, so not herein shown or described further.

The side cutting mining heads 11 are mounted on boom or feeder arms 20, pivotally mounted on vertical pivot pins 21 at the forward end portion of the main frame 12 at opposite sides of the conveyor 15. As shown in FIG- URES 4 and 5, the feeder arms 20 have rear boss portions 22 extending between bifurcated support portions 23 of the main frame 12, and pivotally mounted therebetween on bearings 24 mounted on the pivot pins 21.

The feeder arms 20 and mining heads 11 are swung about the axes of the pivot shafts or pins 21 by hydraulic jacks 25 pivoted at their rear ends to brackets 27 on vertical pivot pins 29 and having piston rods 30 extensible therefrom and pivoted to the feeder frames 20 on vertical pivot pins 31 connecting said piston rods to connectors 32. Fluid under pressure may be admitted to the head or piston rod ends of the hydraulic jacks 25 under the control of fluid pressure control valves 33 connected with said jacks through suitable piping connections, to swing the side cutting mining heads toward and from each other and to hold said mining heads in the laterally extended feeding positions shown in FIGURE 1. The fluid pressure system including the valves, piping and pump are no part of the present invention so need not herein be shown or described further.

Each feeder arm 2t? has a flat plate-like portion 35 extending for the length thereof having facing gibbed guides 36 extending along each side thereof (FIGURE 3). The gibbed guides 36 form retainers and guides for a base plate 37 moved therealong and held in fixed relation with respect thereto by a hydraulic jack 39 connected to said feeder frame at its head end on a pivot pin 40 mounted -in a connector 41 at the rear end portion of the feeder arm 20 outwardly of the boss 22. The hydraulic jack 39 has a piston rod 42 pivotally connected to the base plate 37 on a vertical pivot pin 43 extending through parallel spaced connector ears 41 extending rearwardly of said base. The hydraulic jack 39 thus serves to move the base plate 37 and mining head 11 supported thereon along the feeder arm 20 and to hold said base plate and mining head in fixed relation with respect to said feeder arm.

The base plate 37 has parallel spaced vertically extending guide rails 45 extending upwardly therefrom at opposite ends thereof and at the inner side thereof. The guide rails .45 are braced by gusset plates 46 and form guides for a cutter support plate 47 forming a support for the mining head 11 and slidably movable along the rails 45. The .cutter support plate 47 has gibbed guides 49 extending inwardly from the inner side thereof and along the inner sides of the guide rails 45 to retain said cutter support plate to said guide rails and to guide said cutter support plate for vertical movement along said guide rails.

The .cutter support plate 47 has a right angled motor support portion t) extending outwardly from the top thereof over the base plate 37 and feeder arm 20, and having a drive motor 51 supported on the underside thereof as by bolts 53, extending through feet 54 extend- `ing outwardly of the casing for the motor 51. The motor support plate 50 also has parallel spaced depending connectors 57 depending therefrom on opposite sides of the motor 51. Said connectors form connectors for piston rods 55 of hydraulic jacks 56. Pivot pins 58 pivotally connect said piston rods to said connectors. The hydraulic jacks 56 in turn are pivoted at their head ends on the base plate 37 on pivot pins 59 extending through parallel spaced connector ears 60 extending upwardly of the base 37. The admission of fluid under pressure to the head ends of the hydraulic jacks 56 will thus elevate the cutter support plate 47 and cutter head 11 and position said cutter head to cut at various selected elevations with respect to the ground.

Each side cutting mining head 11 includes a drum 63 having a helical scroll 64 extending therealong having cutter bit supporting blocks 65 mounted thereon having cutter bits 66 detachably mounted therein. The cutter bits are positioned to cut from the bottom to the top of the seam as the scroll is rotated in a direction, which in FIGURE 3 is a clockwise direction. The scroll 64 is pitched to progressv material to a conveyor scroll 67 extending from a drum 69 coaxial with the drum 63. The scroll 67 and drum 69 form in effect a continuation of the drum 63 and scroll 64 and progress the mined material toward the conveyor 16 to be picked up thereby.

The drum 63 also has cutter bit carrying blocks 70 extending about its periphery for trimming the rib as the drum` 11 is sumped into the mine face.

The coaxial drums 63 and 69 are mounted on the cutter support frame or plate 47 on two parallel spaced verticaly support arms 71 and 72 extending inwardly of the cutter support frame 47. The arm 71 is shown in FIG- URES 1 and 3 as extending from the cutter support plate .47 perpendicular thereto toward the center of the machine and as having an end portion 73 conforming generally to the periphery of the drum 63. The support arm 71 has annular bearingV supports 75 and 76 secured to opposite sides thereof and extending within the respective drums 63 and 67 and forming bearing supports therefor.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the bearing support 75 extends within an annular angle 77 abutting the inner periphery of the drum 63 and suitably secured thereto. The support member 75 and annular angle 77 form a support for an anti-friction bearing 78, rotatably supporting the end of the drum 63 adjacent the support arm 71.

The bearing support 75 has a reduced diameter sleeve portion 79 extending the length of the drum 63 and having an anti-friction bearing 80 mounted on the outer end thereof and mounted within an inwardly extending annular portion 81 of an end cap S3 for the drum 63, for rotatably supporting the outer end of the drum 63. The end cap S3 has an inwardly extending sleeve portion 84 extending within the sleeve 79 and free from said sleeve and having a drive shaft 35 splined thereto. The drive shaft S5 extends for substantially the length of the drums 63 and 69 and is splined at its end opposite the sleeve portion S4, within a hub portion 86 of therear end portion of the drum 69. The bearing support 76 extending from the opposite face of the support arm 71 from the bearing support 75 forms a support for an anti-friction bearing 87 mounted in the interior wall of the drum 69. The bearing support 76 also has a reduced diameter sleeve portion 88 extending along the interior of the drum 69 to a position adjacent the hub 86 and having a bearing 89 mounted in the end thereof, forming a bearing support for the rear end portion of the drive shaft 85. A similar anti-friction bearing 90 is mounted within the sleeve portion 8S adjacent the forward end thereof and forms the bearing support for the drive shaft 85 adjacent a bevel gear 91, forming a drive gear for said drive shaft.

The arm 72 is secured to the rear end portion of the support plate 47 and has a gibbed portion 94 extending along the outer face of the support plate 47. The arm 72 may be secured to the rear end of the support plate 47 in any suitable manner and extends from said support plate 47 in parallel relation with respect to the support arm 71 and conforms generally to the periphery of the drum 69. The arm 72 has an anti-friction bearing 93 mounted therein, forming a bearing support for the hub portion 86 of the drum 69. The two drums 63 and 69 are thus mounted on the support arms 71 and 72 for rotation together, the scrolls 64 and 67 forming in effect apcontinuous conveyor progressing the material mined by the cutter bits 66 from the working face toward the apron 17 and conveyor 15.

The drive from the motor 51 to the drive shaft 85 includes a drive shaft 96 extending from a speed reducer housing 97 along the arm 71, within the bearing supports 75V and 76. The speed reducer housing 97 forms in effect, a part of the casing for the motor 51 and contains the usual speed reduction gears (not shown) for driving the shaft 96 from the motor 51 at a reduced speed from the speed of the motor 51, in a manner well known to those skilled in the art so not herein shown or described. The shaft 96 extends along a slotted portion 99 of the support arm 71 and is journalled adjacent its outer end in an anti-friction bearing 100 mounted in the bearing support members 75 and 76 secured to opposite sides of the support arm 71. A bevel pinion 101 on the outer end of the shaft 96 meshes with and drives the bevel gear 91.

A cuttings confining shoe or scraper 103 extends along the bottom of the feeder arm 20 for substantially the length thereof and along the advance face thereof. The scraper 103 depends from the feeder arm 20 into engagement with the mine floor, for progressing the cuttings toward the conveyor 15 to be progressed by the scroll 67 onto the receiving end of the conveyor 15 as the feeder arm 20 feeds the mining head 11 toward the centery of the working place. The shoe 103 is shown in FIGURES 3 and 5 as interleaving ears 105 depending from the bottom of the support arm 20 and as being pivotally connected thereto by a pivot pin 106. The shoe 103 is lifted above the group upon movement of the mining heads 11 in a retractible direction by means of a hydraulic cylinder 107 having a piston rod 109 extensible therefrom. The cylinder 107 is pivotally connected to an ear 110, depending from the bottom of the feeder arm 20, on a pivot pin 111. The piston rod 109 is pivotally connected to an ear 112 extending rearwardly from the shoe 103 on a pivot pin 113. The valve means 33 for supplying fluid under pressure to the cylinders 25 to retractibly move the mining heads to the laterally extended positions shown in FIGURE 1 may have fluid Connection with the cylinders 107 to ietractibly move the shoes 193 upon retractible movement of the mining heads 11. The shoes 103 are thus elevated with respect to the ground to prevent the scraping of the loose material toward the ribs of the working place, as the mining heads are retracted.

A cuttings conning means extends along each cutter support frame 47 and upwardly of the feeder arm 20. The cuttings confining means is shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 6 as comprising a pusher plate 115 slidably guided in an upwardly opening slot 116 extending along the advance side of the feeder arm 20. The pusher plate 115 laps at its inner end, a stationary plate 117 secured to the boss 22 and extending generally tangentially there from along the inner side of the plate 115. The pusher plate 115 abuts an abutment notch 118 extending vertically along the outer end portion of the cutter support plate 47 and slidably abuts the front face of the cutter support plate 47. The pusher plate 115 has slotted portions 119 and 126 extending vertically therealong and registering with the respective support arms 71 and 72, to accommodate vertical adjustable movement of the cutter support plate 47 with respect to the plate 115. The plate 115 is retained to slidably engage the front face of the cutter support plate 47 by guide straps 121 spaced outwardly from and extending vertically along opposite sides of the slots 119 and 120 and having opposite inturned end portions Welded or otherwise secured to the pusher plate 115. Rods 123 secured to the support arms 71 and 72 extend within the guide straps 121 and have slidable engagement therewith. The guide straps 121, rods 123 and abutment notch 118 serve to move the pusher plate 115 along the slot 116 and the plate 117 upon longitudinal adjustable movement of the mining head 11.

In FIGURE 2, we have shown an extension to the scroll 67 which may be detachably mounted within the hub 86 to extend the conveying length of the scroll 67 in cases where the cutter head 11 may be in the extreme extended position of adjustment shown in FIGURE 2.

As shown by broken lines in FIGURE 2, the extension of the conveyor scroll 67 is in the form of a scroll 125 extending about and along a drum 126, coaxial with the drum 69 and driven therefrom through a splined shaft 127. The drum 126 may be detachably secured to the arm 72 for rotation with respect thereto in any suitable manner.

When it is desired to mine out a seam of coal, and the machine is in a working place of a mine, the two mining heads 11 are positioned in the laterally extended positions shown in FIGURE l, with the mining heads adjusted along the feeder arms to position the cutter bits carried by the cutter bit carrying blocks 70 to cut along the ribs of the Working place. Where the thickness of the coal seam is greater than the cutting diameters of the mining heads 11, said mining heads are vertically adjusted to make a first cut along the mine bottom for the cutting diameters of the mining heads, with the two mining heads rotating in a direction to cut upwardly from the mine bottom.

The entire machine is then advanced by the continuous traction tread devices 13 into the Working face, with the two mining heads rotating in from the oor toward the roof of the seam. As the mining heads are sumped into the working face to the required depth, fluid under pressure may be admitted to the head ends of the hydraulic jacks to feed the mining heads inwardly toward each other. As the mining head 11, which is shown in FIGURE l as being the left hand mining head, advances to the broken line position indicated by a reference character A, feeding of this mining head may be stopped. The opposite mining head 11 may then be advanced to position B in FIGURE 1, and feeding movement of this mining head may then be stopped. The mining head may then be retractibly moved to its laterally extended position shown in FIGURE 1, and as this mining head is retractibly moved, the opposite mining head may be advanced from position A substantially to position B and then retracted to the laterally extended position shown in FIGURE 1. One mining head 11, thus overlaps the cutting path of the opposite mining head and cuts out a part of the vertically extending cusp at the center of the working place.

Where the thickness of the seam being mined is greater than the cutting diameters of the mining heads 11, the entire machine may be backed from the working face by operation of the traction devices 13 and the two mining heads 11 may then be elevated to position the cutter bit 66 along the mine roof. The mining operation just described may then be repeated to mine and load the coal depending from the mine roof, left at the end of the first mining operation.

It should be understood that while the mining heads 11 are shown and described as rotating to cut from the floor to the roof of the seam, that the scrolls may be reversely pitched and the cutter bit may be positioned to cut from the roof to the iloor, it being understood that the direction of lrotation of the motor 50 is also reversed when cutting is from the roof to the oor.

While we have herein shown and described one form in 'which our invention may be embodied, it should be understood that various modifications and variations in the invention may be attained without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof, as defined by the claims appended hereto.

We claim as our invention:

l. In a continuous mining machine, a mobile main frame having an endless conveyor extending therealong from a position adjacent the ground at the front of said main frame, at least one feeder arm pivotally mounted on said main frame for movement about a vertical axis and extending rin advance of said conveyor and main frame, said feeder arm having guides extending longitudinally therealong, a base plate `guided for movement along said guides and retained from tilting movement Vwith respect to said feeder arm iby said guides, a side outting mining rhead mounted on said base plate and supported to extend along said -base plate inwardly of the inner side of said base plate and feeder arm, a motor `for driving said minling head, and power means -for moving said base plate and mining head along said guides and retaining said base plate and mining head in various selected positions of adjustment along said feeder arm.

2. A continuous mining machine in accordance with claim l, wherein a cutter -support is mounted on said base plate for vertical movement with respect thereto, wherein power means are provided for moving said cutter support vertically with respect to said base plate and for holding said cutter support in fixed relation with respect to said base plate, and wherein support arms extending from said cutter support inwardly of said base plate toward the longitudinal center line of the machine are provided for supporting said mining head for rotatable movement with respect to said base plate.

3. In a continuous mining machine ,a mobile main frame, at least one feeder arm vertically pivoted on said main frame and extending in advance of said main frame and having guides extending longitudinally therealong, a base plate :guided for movement along said guides and retained by said guides from tilting movement with respect to said feeder arm, hydraulic jack means connected between said feeder arm and base plate for moving said base plate along said feeder arm and retaining said base plate in fixed relation rwith respect to said feeder arm, said base plate havin-g vertical guides extending upwardly therefrom, a support frame slidably mounted in said guides for vertical movement therealong, hydraulic jack means connected between said base plate and support frame for vertically moving said Vsupport frame with respect to said base plate and for retaining said support frame in fixed relation with respect to said base plate, a motor supported on said support frame for vertical movement therewith, said motor having a horizontal drive shaft extending inwardly of said 4base plate and feeder arm, at least one cutter support arm extending laterally from said support frame toward the longitudinal center of the machine, a side cutting mining head including a conveyor scroll having cutter bits projecting radially therefrom rotatably supported on said cutter support for rotation about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of said feeder arm, said drive shaft extending along said cutter support arm in- Wardly of the inner margins of said mining head, and means Within the circumferential limits of said mining head for driving said mining head from said shaft.

4. A continuous mining machine in accordance with claim 3, wherein hydraulic cylinder and piston means are provided to feed said mining head about said vertical axis of pivotal connection of said feeder arm to said main frame toward and from the longitudinal center line of the machine.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 2,096,917 Pray e Oct. 26, 1937 2,261,160 Joy Nov. 4, 1941 2,836,408 Barrett May 27, 1958 2,954,220 Bergmann Sept. 27, 1960 2,986,384 Densmore ;T May 30', 1961 

1. IN A CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE, A MOBILE MAIN FRAME HAVING AN ENDLESS CONVEYOR EXTENDING THEREALONG FROM A POSITION ADJACENT THE GROUND AT THE FRONT OF SAID MAIN FRAME, AT LEAST ONE FEEDER ARM PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID MAIN FRAME FOR MOVEMENT ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS AND EXTENDING IN ADVANCE OF SAID CONVEYOR AND MAIN FRAME, SAID FEEDER ARM HAVING GUIDES EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THEREALONG, A BASE PLATE GUIDED FOR MOVEMENT ALONG SAID GUIDES AND RETAINED FROM TILTING MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID FEEDER ARM BY SAID GUIDES, A SIDE CUTTING MINING HEAD MOUNTED ON SAID BASE PLATE AND SUPPORTED TO EXTEND ALONG SAID BASE PLATE INWARDLY OF THE INNER SIDE OF SAID BASE PLATE AND FEEDER ARM, A MOTOR FOR DRIVING SAID MINING HEAD, AND POWER MEANS FOR MOVING SAID BASE PLATE AND MINING HEAD ALONG SAID GUIDES AND RETAINING SAID BASE 